Wilmington park rededicated, honors last city officer to fall in line of duty
Wilmington officials have rededicated Conaty Park to honor an officer killed in the line of duty more than 70 years ago.
In 2000, city officials dedicated the playground on Gilpin Ave. to Detective Thomas Conaty Jr., a Wilmington Police Officer who was murdered in 1946 while investigating a robbery. The property fell into disrepair few years ago after it was used to hold equipment and trailers during the construction of the new Lincoln Towers Apartments, said Councilman Bud Freel.
The Wilmington Housing Authority signed a lease with the city in 2010. Under the agreement, the WHA used Conaty Park as a staging area in exchange for paying $250,000 to redevelop the playground when the lease ended in 2013.
Freel said WHA told the city it exceeded its budget building Lincoln Towers and was unable to cover the cost of the agreement. The city had sent three letters to the WHA between May 2013 and August 2014, but the agency only paid about $5,000.
"There was some yelling and screaming that went on," Freel said Saturday of his conversation with WHA officials.
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City officials went to work collecting donations and grant money to cover the cost of renovating the park, which had swelled about $300,000. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and state community grants provided financing for the park.
After three years of hard work, the park was rededicated Saturday with a new playground and a monument to Conaty. City officials, neighborhood residents, members of the Conaty family and about a dozen police and firefighters attended the event.
"This is such a positive and powerful reflection on the people in this neighborhood," said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. "We can all be proud of this."
Conaty, who was raised in the 40 Acres neighborhood, was shot and killed while questioning two youths about the burglary of several guns from a local store. He died Dec. 26, 1946.
The shooter, who was 17 years old at the time, was the first person in Delaware to be found guilty of first degree murder. He died in prison in 1985.
Conaty is the last city officer to die in the line of duty.
"This park serves as a reminder for not only the sacrifice Detective Conaty made, but also the sacrifice that is made by our law enforcement community and their families every day," said Inspector Cecillia Asche of the Wilmington Police Department.
"More importantly, this park will serve as a constant reminder that the Conaty family will always be part of this city of Wilmington and always be a part of the Wilmington Police family," Asche continued.
Conaty's three sons and 16 grandchildren attended the ceremony. The oldest son, Thomas Conaty III, said he was honored the city will continue to honor his father.
"We are profoundly grateful to those who deal with society's many problems so that we may live our lives in security," he said. "Today is not only a rededication, but a day of gratitude to all of you who worked hard to restore and update this park."
Contact Jeff Mordock at (302) 324-2786, on Twitter @JeffMordockTNJ or jmordock@delawareonline.com.